BOSTON — The investigative arm of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission recommended the proposed Wynn casino in Everett be found suitable for licensing after an extensive report and sometimes contentious public hearing Monday.

The Investigative and Enforcement Bureau pressed the representatives for Wynn, including billionaire Steve Wynn, on the company's business practices in the Chinese gambling mecca Macau and their awareness of the land deal in Everett.

The commission did not officially make a decision on the suitability of Wynn as a casino license holder Monday. The commission may make a final ruling on the suitability of Wynn as soon as the end of next week.

The concerns about the business practices in Macau led the the investigators to recommend Wynn answer questions from the commission on whether its practices there are "responsible business practices in any jurisdiction."

The IEB's report zeroed in on the strength of organized crime in Macau and their possible ties to what are called junket operators, or VIP gaming promoters. The junket operators work with casinos in Macau in order to bring in high-end players from the Chinese mainland, something that is difficult for the casinos to do due to the laws against gambling in China. The junket operators have extensive networks that work to bring in deep pocketed gamers, making their money from "a revenue share agreement or a commission based on turnover" with casinos there.

Wynn officials defended and explained the practice to the commission.

"The junkets have their own compliance standards, they want their business to keep going with Wynn, certainly, so they're very strict," said James Stern, senior vice president of corporate safety at Wynn.

The junket operators drive huge profits to the casinos as they fill the lavish VIP rooms in the casinos there. Many of the customers brought in by junkets are part of the booming class of wealthy Chinese businessmen and women. A primer on how the process works can be found here. A recent crackdown on junkets by Chinese authorities has lead to junket operators to expand their reach beyond mainland China and Hong Kong.

"The employees of the junket operator, they provide transportation and those girls that run to the chip room. All of the gaming supervision, all the surveillance, all of the touching of the cards, is just us," said Wynn.

Casino junket operators often handled money in some transactions that would, if conducted in the United States, be left up to the casinos themselves. "There has been no suggestion in this investigation that Wynn Macau would knowingly associate with unsuitable persons. However, it is with this backdrop that Wynn Macau sets its practices with respect to the scope of due diligence it considers to be commensurate with the known risks," said the IEB report.

Commissioners, as well as investigators, appeared satisfied with the answers on this topic, from Wynn officials, including the ones from Wynn himself. After the hearing Wynn told reports that he didn't think the poking and prodding into the Macau dealings was that unusual.

"The differences in culture between China and America are such that it takes a little bit of understanding. If you're an attorney from Boston and you haven't spent any time over there you know, you sort of have to dope it out, figure it out, and it's not easy for them. For the people that have spent time there, it's easier," said Wynn.

The controversy over the land deal in place between Wynn and FBT Everett Realty LLC, though persisted, and attracted the most hostility from Wynn officials.

The deal, approved by the commission last week, was mired in controversy due to the involvement of Charles Lightbody, a small businessman and convicted felon from Revere, according to the probe. Gary DeCicco, a former co-owner of the property, was convicted of forgery and insurance fraud, the investigators said. The original asking price for the property that Wynn was willing to pay was $75 million. After a report by The Boston Globe that dug into the background of Lightbody, the commission stepped up its scrutiny of the deal, leading to Wynn rewriting the the land deal.

IEB officials found that Wynn did its due diligence in at the time they initially signed their option to purchase the Everett land from FBT in 2012. The IEB's report on the Everett land deal concludes that the issue is not with the applicant but with "a related beneficiary of the transaction" and that the revised land deal, approved by the commission, is an appropriate resolution.

The current land deal that the commission approved is $35 million for the heavily contaminated Monsanto parcel in Everett. Approximately $10 million of that sale price is dedicated to environmental remediation of the former chemical and industrial site.

Kim Sinatra, Wynn's chief counsel, was particularly defensive of Wynn when the issues of Wynn dealing with convicted felons that own a percentage of the land they want to build on. Sinatra called media reports by the Boston Herald and Boston Business Journal on the land deal "scurrilous."

"I think a few people in this room are getting the idea of what it feels like cockamamie theories called and tried out on you on a weekly basis," said Sinatra, later adding that she thinks the media is "piling-on" on the Everett land issue.

Additional concerns were raised by the IEB about Wynn's practices in Las Vegas and the company's relationship with a former investor, Kazuo Okada.

"I don't think we have any real problems. I think everybody is being very nice and I think that it's proceeding really well. A tremendous amount of work went into the investigation before we got here. Karen Wells' people and detectives they did tons of work. If there was anything juicy you would have heard it in the investigative summary and there would have been an objection," said Wynn during a break in the hearing.

At one point during the hearing Wynn fell asleep, prompting Commissioner John McHugh to wake him and ask if the he needed a break. A tap from former Governor William Weld, the lead local attorney for his team here, prompted Wynn and he responded to McHugh.

"No, I'm just bored," he said.

A written decision from the commission on the suitability of Wynn for a casino license should be released in seven to 10 days.